1999 06 00 Intelligence and National Security - Vol 14 No 2 - Gerald K Haines

Magazine Overview

This document is a reprint of an article titled "CIA's Role in the Study of UFOs, 1947-90: A Die-Hard Issue" by Gerald K. Haines, originally published in the CIA's in-house journal, *Studies in Intelligence*, and later in *Intelligence and National Security*, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Summer 1999). The article examines the historical involvement of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the US Air Force (USAF) in the study of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) from 1947 to 1990, a period coinciding with the Cold War.

Background and Early Investigations (1947-1952)

The article begins by noting the emergence of UFO sightings in 1947, the same year as the Cold War confrontation and the Roswell incident. It highlights the significant public interest in UFOs, with a large percentage of Americans having heard of them and many believing they are real. The article points out that the idea of a government conspiracy and cover-up, particularly by the CIA, has been a persistent theme among UFO enthusiasts.

Following pressure from UFOlogists, CIA Director R. James Woolsey ordered a review of agency files on UFOs. This study traces the CIA's interest from the late 1940s to 1990, concluding that while the agency's concern was substantial until the early 1950s, its attention to the phenomenon became limited and peripheral thereafter.

The emergence of the Cold War in 1947 coincided with the first wave of UFO sightings. The first widely reported sighting was by pilot Kenneth Arnold on June 24, 1947, who described nine disk-shaped objects near Mount Rainier, Washington, traveling at over 1,000 mph. This led to numerous other sightings across the US. In response, the Air Force established Project Sign (initially Project Saucer) in 1948 to collect and evaluate UFO information, considering them a potential national security concern.

The Technical Intelligence Division of the Air Material Command (AMC) at Wright Field took over Project Sign in January 1948. Initially fearing Soviet secret weapons, the Air Force concluded that UFOs were real but mostly explainable by mass hysteria, hoaxes, or misinterpretations of known objects. Despite this, they recommended continued military intelligence control and did not entirely dismiss extraterrestrial possibilities.

In the late 1940s, the Air Force continued collecting data under Project Grudge, which aimed to reduce public anxiety through a public relations campaign. Sightings were explained as balloons, aircraft, planets, or optical illusions. Grudge found no evidence of advanced foreign weapons and concluded UFOs did not threaten US security, recommending the project be scaled back to avoid fueling a 'war hysteria'. The project was terminated on December 27, 1949.

With escalating Cold War tensions and continued sightings, USAF Director of Intelligence Major General Charles P. Cabell ordered a new project in 1952: Project Blue Book. This became the major Air Force effort to study UFOs throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Projects Sign, Grudge, and Blue Book set the tone for the official US government position on UFOs for the next three decades.

Early CIA Concerns (1947-1952)

The CIA closely monitored the Air Force's efforts, concerned that UFOs might represent a security threat. In 1952, CIA officials questioned if sightings might be 'midsummer madness'. While accepting the Air Force's conclusions, they noted the remote possibility of interplanetary aircraft and the need for investigation.

A significant increase in sightings in 1952 alarmed the Truman administration. Radar blips were tracked over Washington National Airport and Andrews Air Force Base in July 1952, leading to scrambled interceptors that found nothing. The Air Force explained these as temperature inversions, a finding later confirmed by a Civil Aeronautics Administration investigation.

In response to this surge, the CIA formed a special study group within the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) and the Office of Current Intelligence (OCI). Edward Tauss reported that most sightings were explainable but recommended continued monitoring and coordination with ATIC. Crucially, he urged the CIA to conceal its interest from the media and public due to their 'alarmist tendencies'.

Deputy Director for Intelligence Robert Amory, Jr. assigned responsibility for UFO investigations to OSI's Physics and Electronics Division, led by A. Ray Gordon, who was to coordinate with ATIC. DDI Amory was relaying concerns from DCI Walter Bedell Smith, who wanted to know if the Air Force investigation was objective and how much effort was needed to determine the cause of unexplained saucers. Smith believed the threat to security was minimal but could not be ignored, and he tasked the CIA with coordinating intelligence efforts and exploring the UFO phenomenon's use in psychological warfare.

The CIA Study Group, led by Gordon, reviewed Air Force data. The Air Force stated that 90% of sightings were accounted for, with the remaining 10% being 'incredible reports from credible observers'. The Air Force rejected theories involving secret weapons or Martians, attributing reports to misinterpretations of known objects or natural phenomena. Both agencies agreed that public knowledge of CIA interest would exacerbate the issue, contributing to later cover-up accusations.

The CIA Study Group also searched Soviet press for UFO reports but found none, concluding this was due to Soviet policy. They considered the USSR's potential use of UFOs as a psychological warfare tool and worried about the Soviets overloading US air warning systems. H. Marshall Chadwell, Assistant Director of OSI, deemed the issue important enough to bring to the National Security Council (NSC) for a coordinated effort.

Chadwell briefed DCI Smith in December 1952, emphasizing that unexplained objects at high altitudes and speeds near defense installations required immediate attention and were not attributable to natural phenomena or known aerial vehicles. He drafted a memorandum to the NSC and a proposed directive to establish UFO investigation as a priority project across intelligence and defense communities, also urging an external research project of top scientists.

The Robertson Panel (1952-1953)

On December 4, 1952, the Intelligence Advisory Committee (IAC) discussed UFOs at DCI Smith's request. Chadwell reviewed the situation and ATIC's program. The committee agreed to enlist scientists to review evidence and draft an NSCID. Major General John A. Samford of Air Force Intelligence pledged cooperation.

Chadwell also investigated British efforts, learning they had a standing committee on flying saucers headed by R. V. Jones. Their conclusions mirrored US findings: sightings were not enemy aircraft but misrepresentations of natural phenomena. However, the British noted a 'perfect flying saucer' observed by RAF pilots and military officials, which Jones found difficult to counter publicly.

In January 1953, Chadwell and physicist H. P. Robertson assembled a panel of distinguished nonmilitary scientists, including Samuel A. Goudsmit (nuclear physicist), Luis Alvarez (high-energy physicist), Thornton Page (radar and electronics expert), and Lloyd Berkner (geophysics specialist).

The panel's mandate was to review UFO evidence and assess potential dangers to US national security. Meeting from January 14-17, 1953, they reviewed Air Force case histories. After 12 hours of study, they concluded that most, if not all, sightings could be reasonably explained. For instance, film from Tremonton, Utah (July 2, 1952), was attributed to sunlight reflecting off seagulls, and film from Great Falls, Montana (August 15, 1950), to sunlight reflecting off Air Force interceptors.

The panel unanimously found no direct threat to national security and no evidence of extraterrestrial visitors. However, they did find that continued emphasis on UFO reporting could disrupt government functioning by clogging communication channels with irrelevant reports and inducing 'hysterical mass behavior'. They also worried that potential enemies might exploit UFO phenomena to disrupt US air defenses.

To address these issues, the panel recommended that the NSC debunk UFO reports and implement a public education policy using mass media, advertising, schools, and even Disney to reassure the public. Amidst McCarthyism, they also suggested monitoring private UFO groups like the Civilian Flying Saucer Investigators and the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization for subversive activities.

The Robertson panel's conclusions aligned with earlier Air Force reports ('Sign', 'Grudge') and the CIA's OSI Study Group: no direct national security threat and no evidence of extraterrestrial visits.

Following the panel's findings, the CIA abandoned efforts to draft an NSCID. The panel submitted its report to various government bodies. CIA officials deemed further consideration unwarranted but continued to monitor sightings for national security. Philip Strong and Fred Durant briefed the Office of National Estimates.

The 1950s: Fading CIA Interest in UFOs

After the Robertson panel's report, the CIA placed the UFO issue on the back burner. In May 1953, Chadwell transferred responsibility for monitoring UFOs to OSI's Physics and Electronic Division. Todos M. Odarenko, the division chief, was reluctant, citing the analytic and clerical time required. He proposed treating the project as 'inactive', with minimal staff.

Odarenko, a UFO skeptic, sought to relieve his division of the responsibility, recommending termination in 1955 due to a lack of new information and budget constraints. However, Chadwell and other officials remained concerned, particularly about overseas reports and claims that German engineers working for the Soviets were developing 'flying saucers' as weapons.

During the mid-1950s, the Soviet Union's progress in nuclear weapons and guided missiles was a major concern. Soviet atomic and hydrogen bomb tests, along with a RAND Corporation study highlighting the vulnerability of Strategic Air Command bases to Soviet bombers, increased anxieties. UFO sightings added to this unease.

Reports of UFOs over Eastern Europe and Afghanistan also raised concerns about Soviet advancements in this area. CIA officials were aware that British and Canadian developmental operations were experimenting with 'flying saucers'. Project Y, a Canadian-British-US effort, aimed to produce nonconventional aircraft, and the CIA feared the Soviets were testing similar devices.

US Senator Richard Russell's sighting of a flying saucer in the USSR in October 1955 did not support the theory of Soviet development of unconventional aircraft; CIA officials concluded the objects were likely normal jet aircraft. Herbert Scoville Jr. of OSI noted that if the Soviets had a 'flying saucer', they would not be developing conventional aircraft. Wilton E. Lexow of the Applied Sciences Division was tasked with assessing nonconventional aircraft capabilities.

CIA's U-2 and Oxcart as UFOs

In November 1954, the CIA initiated the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance project with Lockheed's Skunk Works. By August 1955, the U-2, capable of flying at 60,000 feet, began test flights. This led to a significant increase in UFO sightings reported by commercial pilots and air traffic controllers, as the early silver U-2s reflected sunlight, appearing as fiery objects.

Air Force 'Blue Book' investigators, aware of the secret U-2 flights, attempted to explain these sightings as natural phenomena. By consulting the U-2 Project Staff, they were able to attribute many sightings to U-2 flights but concealed the true cause from the public. Estimates suggest that over half of UFO reports from the late 1950s through the 1960s were accounted for by manned reconnaissance flights like the U-2 and the later Oxcart (SR-71), leading the Air Force to issue misleading statements to protect these programs.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The article consistently portrays the CIA's involvement with UFOs as driven by national security concerns, particularly during the Cold War. Initially, there was substantial interest and investigation, but this waned as the perceived threat diminished and other priorities emerged. A key theme is the tension between public fascination with UFOs and the government's efforts to manage information, often through explanations that concealed the true nature of certain aerial phenomena (like the U-2 flights) to protect sensitive programs. The editorial stance appears to be a factual, historical account of the CIA's perspective and actions regarding UFOs, emphasizing the agency's rational, security-focused approach rather than endorsing or dismissing the reality of UFOs themselves.

This document, titled 'INTELLIGENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY', focuses on the historical involvement of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the study and investigation of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) from the post-World War II era through the 1980s. The content is presented as a detailed historical analysis, likely from an academic or specialized publication, given its extensive citations and focus on declassified information and government actions.

CIA's Role in the Study of UFOs

The article details how the CIA's involvement with UFOs began, particularly in the context of national security concerns and the need to assess potential threats. The Robertson panel, established in 1953, is highlighted as a key early effort, sponsored by the CIA and conducted by the Air Force. The panel's objective was to determine if UFOs posed a threat to national security. Despite its findings, the report was initially kept classified, fueling later conspiracy theories about government cover-ups.

The pressure for declassification grew throughout the 1950s, with UFOlogists like Donald Keyhoe and Dr. Leon Davidson advocating for the release of information. The CIA, however, maintained a policy of secrecy, often providing sanitized versions of reports that omitted references to CIA involvement or psychological warfare aspects. This secrecy, while perhaps intended to manage public perception or protect sensitive operations, inadvertently intensified suspicions.

Several specific incidents and cases are discussed, illustrating the CIA's engagement and the public's growing distrust. The 'radio code' incident involving the Maier sisters, where a supposed UFO transmission was analyzed and found to be Morse code from a US radio station, demonstrates the agency's investigative reach and the challenges of verifying such claims. Similarly, the case of Ralph C. Mayher's UFO photographs in 1952 shows the CIA's interest in analyzing visual evidence, even as they sought to maintain a low profile.

Throughout the 1960s, the CIA's direct involvement in UFO investigations appeared to decline, partly due to the Air Force's Project Blue Book and later the Condon Committee study. However, the agency continued to monitor UFO reports, primarily for counterintelligence purposes, such as assessing potential Soviet technological capabilities or disinformation campaigns. The Condon report, released in 1969, concluded that UFOs did not warrant high-priority investigation and recommended the discontinuation of Project Blue Book.

Despite the official stance and the Condon report's conclusions, UFOlogists continued to believe the CIA was withholding crucial information. This led to a significant Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit in the 1970s by Ground Saucer Watch (GSW). The CIA conducted a thorough search, releasing hundreds of documents, though some were withheld on national security grounds. The press coverage of this release was sensationalized, further reinforcing public belief in a government cover-up.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, the CIA's interest shifted towards parapsychology, psychic phenomena, and 'remote viewing' experiments, as well as using UFO sightings to gauge Soviet progress in rocketry and missile technology. The agency maintained a conservative scientific view of these unconventional issues and deliberately kept UFO files to a minimum to avoid creating misleading records. The article also touches upon the enduring controversy surrounding the 1947 Roswell incident and the alleged Majestic-12 committee, noting that many documents related to these events have been proven to be fabrications.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes throughout the document are government secrecy, the role of intelligence agencies in managing information, public distrust, and the persistence of conspiracy theories surrounding UFO phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of objective historical reporting, presenting documented actions, official statements, and the perspectives of various stakeholders (government agencies, UFOlogists, scientists) without overtly taking sides. The article concludes by suggesting that the UFO issue is unlikely to disappear due to its emotional appeal and pervasive government distrust, making it resistant to purely rational or scientific explanations.

This document, titled 'INTELLIGENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY', spans pages 44 through 48 and focuses on the 'CIA's ROLE IN THE STUDY OF UFOs'. It primarily consists of a detailed, footnoted bibliography of internal CIA documents, memos, reports, and correspondence related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and 'Flying Saucers'. The content covers a broad historical period, from the late 1940s through the mid-1990s, indicating a long-standing, albeit often documented indirectly, interest and involvement by the Central Intelligence Agency in the phenomenon.

CIA's Role in the Study of UFOs

The document meticulously lists numerous internal CIA documents, memos, and letters, providing citations for each. These references detail the agency's engagement with UFO-related matters, including:

• Early Investigations and Memoranda (1950s): Numerous entries refer to memos from individuals like Chadwell, Smith, and Odarenko, discussing 'Flying Saucers' and 'Unidentified Flying Objects'. These documents often relate to internal meetings, advisory panels, and research projects. For instance, item 18 mentions Smith expressing opinions at a meeting with top officers regarding 'Flying Saucers'. Item 22 references memos from Chadwell to Smith concerning 'Flying Saucers'. Item 24 discusses a proposed External Research Project concerned with Unidentified Flying Objects, involving figures from MIT.
• The IAC and Advisory Panels: The creation of the IAC (Intelligence Advisory Committee) in 1947 is noted, serving as a coordinating body for intelligence requirements. The document also extensively references the 'Robertson Panel' (Report of the Scientific Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects), convened in January 1953, and related reports by Fred C. Durant III. These panels were central to the agency's efforts to analyze and understand the UFO phenomenon.
• Specific Memos and Reports: The citations cover a wide range of internal communications, such as memos on 'British Activity in the Field of UFOs' (item 29), 'Consultants for Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects' (item 30), and 'Current Status of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOB) Project' (item 38).
• External Research and Collaboration: The CIA engaged with external entities, including universities like MIT (item 24) and researchers. There are also references to collaborations or inquiries involving the Air Force, the Department of State, and other government bodies.
• Later Period Documentation (1960s-1990s): The references extend to later decades, including discussions on the declassification of UFO-related documents, the termination of Project BLUEBOOK by the Air Force (item 80), and the role of the CIA in relation to public interest and FOIA requests. Item 68 mentions a memo from the National Aeronautics and Space Council regarding the 'Space Alien Race Question'. Item 73 discusses the Air Force's request to declassify CIA material on UFOs.
• Focus on Contactees and Abductees: By the 1990s, the literature mentioned begins to focus more on 'contactees and abductees', with references to books by John E. Mack and Howard Blum (item 90).
• The Roswell Incident and MJ-12: The document touches upon the Roswell incident, noting that the CIA is not involved in the GAO's investigation (item 91). It also extensively references the controversial 'Majestic-12' (MJ-12) documents, with one entry (item 93) detailing how Dr. Larry Bland discovered that these documents were a fraud, containing altered language from a letter concerning 'Magic' intercepts.
• Lack of Documentation in the 1980s: A notable observation is the lack of solid CIA documentation on Agency UFO-related activities in the 1980s, leaving this period 'somewhat murky' (as stated in the text preceding item 91).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes are the CIA's historical engagement with the UFO phenomenon, the bureaucratic processes involved in studying such topics, and the challenges of documentation and declassification. The editorial stance appears to be that of a historical and archival review, presenting a factual, reference-heavy account of the CIA's documented interactions with UFO reports and related research, rather than advocating for or against the existence of extraterrestrial phenomena. The extensive citation of internal documents suggests an effort to provide a comprehensive and verifiable record of the agency's involvement.